Sanding device for railways



(No Model.)

O. R. HOWARD. SANDING DEVIGB FOR RAILWAYS.

No. 534,798. Patented Feb. 26, 1895..

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CYRUS R. HOWARD, OF JOHNSTOWN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. O. MOSPADDEN,OF ROOKWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

SANDING DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,798, dated February26., 1895.

Application filed November 26,1894. Serial No. 530,066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CYRUS R. HOWARD, ofJohnstown, county of Oambria, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a newand useful Improvement in Sanding Devices for Railways, of which thefollowing specification is a true and exact description, due referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved form of sanding device for streetrailway cars, and has for its object to provide a sand box which shallbe certain and efficient in its action and not liable to clog or fail onaccount of dampness or freezing.

Referring to the drawings: Figure l represents a section through a sandbox embodying my invention and mounted in position in a car. Fig. 2 is atop plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan of a portion of the feedingdevice enlarged. Fig. al is a section through Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asection through a portion of the feeding device as hereinafterdescribed.

I will now describe my invention.

H is a box or hopper which carries the desired amount of sand and ismounted in the car just forward of the wheels as shown. To the bottom ofthis hopper is attached the vertical pipe P, carrying on its lower endthe valve V normally held closed by the spring 8. This valve isprotected from mud or water being thrown upon it by the casing O whichbeing secured to the pipe P carries the valve V and surrounds it actingas a shield therefor. The valve being placed at the outlet of the pipePthoroughly protects to the end the channel through which the sand flows.This is a great advantage over those devices in which more or less ofthe sand duct is exposed to mud and water thrown up into its end whereit settles gradually closing the opening.

In the pipe P is the feed-worm W carried by the vertical shaft 8. Thisvertical shaft 3 carries the ratchet wheel R, and the ratchet bars 1'operate it by means of levers L and Z within control of the caroperator. The bracket B supports the upper end of shaft .9. At the baseof the hopper H is the circular portion h, and in this revolve thescrapers or agitators W which are secured to the shaft 8.

The operation of the device is this: The hopper H is normally full ofsand, which also runs down the pipe P filling it. The valve V, however,prevents any from running out, as it is held up against the mouth of thepipe byspring S. When the car operator desires to sand the track, heworks the leverl back and forth. This through the ratchet bars 0" turnsthe feedworm continuously in one direction and forces the sand down inthe pipe. The pressure of the sand upon the valve V causes it to open,and the sand to flow down upon the track. When he desires to stop thesanding, the op erator ceases to operate the lever l, and the worm Wstops. The sand is no longer forced downward against the valve V, and asthe sand above the valve flows out,it.shuts, thu

cutting off the flow.

The feed-worm W supporting the weight of the sand, the spring S onlyneed be strong enough to hold the valve up against the pipe and supportthe sand which may settle down through the worm. This valve Vefiectually prevents any dampness or mud working up into the sand, andit is thus at all times kept dry and ready for use, and should the valvestick, by reason of mud freezing or hardening thereon, the pressure ofthe sand when forced down by the worm is ample to break any such bondand open the valve.

The scrapers to serve to agitate the sand in the bottom of the hopperand scrape it into the mouth of the pipe P whence it is forced downwardby the Worm W.

While I have shown and described the worm as operated by the ratchetwheel R and ratchet bars r, Ido not limit myself to that particularmechanical construction as it is evident that there are many ways ofoperating the worm from the platform of the car.

My device is also readily adapted for use on a salt car, that is a carfrom which salt is distributed along the track in snowy freezingweather, and while I describe and claim it as a sand box, it will beunderstood that I claim it as a salting device as well. It is Welladapted to this use, as salt is specially liable when at all damp tostick and clog, and my device being positive forces the salt out anddoes not permit it to stick. I do not limit myself to the exact shape ofhopper shown, as it may be rectangular or round or any shape bestadapted to the place it is to occupy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patcut, is--- 1. A sanding-device for railways, comprising areceptacle for the sand, mounted upon the car and having an orifice inthe bottom, a duct extending downward from said orifice, a feedingdevice located in said duct and adapted to force the sand downwardtherein, a Valve at the end of said duct normally closed but adapted tobe opened by the sand,

and mechanism whereby the operator of the 3. A sanding device forrailways, comprising a receptacle for the sand, a duct or pipe leadingdownward therefrom, a shaft extending downward into the receptacle,afeed-worm secured to the bottom of the shaft and working in said duct, avalve at the mouth of said duct and actuated by a spring to normallyclose same, a shield or casing surrounding said valve and adapted toprotect it from mud and water, and mechanism adapted to operate theaforesaid shaft.

4. In a sanding device for railways, in combination with a receptaclefor the sand and feeding mechanismadapted to force the sand out of saidreceptacle, a valve normally closing the orifice from which the sandissues and adapted to be opened by the sand when forced from thereceptacle.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CYRUS R. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. HOWER, ALBERT J ONES.

